The Taliban is a fundamentalist Islamic movement operating in Afghanistan and in the north western provinces of Pakistan. Not only have they been a threat to the security forces operating within the region, but are also responsible for denying basic rights, like the right to an education for females. The Taliban denied female education in Afghanistan during their rule. After being ousted from the country, they moved to Pakistan as an underground movement and have since adopted similar policies, spread their influence and are now resurgent in Afghanistan. This stems from the movement’s strict adherence to Islamic Sharia Law, which the Taliban is trying to impose on the regions they control. Using Sharia law as justification, the Taliban argues that females have no place in school or in the public sphere and should be confined to the private sphere, which mainly revolves around the home. In Pakistan’s northern valleys the group has closed down over 170 schools for boys and girls, and in a recent radio broadcast ordered all schools to close by mid-January or face the consequences. 20,000 students have been pulled out of school as a direct result of these orders. Schools which defy these orders face direct attacks from Taliban militias.
Attack against a female educational institution - (AP Photo/Sherin Zada - The Associated Press)
The denial of the right to an education is a direct result of the deterioration of security within these regions. The Pakistani army and police have been battling the Taliban for more than six years, but have had little luck in containing the group. A consequence of this is that law and order in southern Afghanistan and north western Pakistan has collapsed. One proposed solution was to place security forces near education facilities, but teachers feared that this would invite more attacks on schools because the security forces are one of the Taliban’s primary targets. Many citizens within Pakistan have argued against this strategy and demanded that education be open to males and females alike. Bashir Ahmed Bilour, a senior provincial official, has argued that if schools can remain open in Gaza they can certainly remain open in Pakistan.
Why should girls in these countries not have the same right to attend school and gain an education that girls in other parts of the world do? Females, like males, are entitled to every right that is outlined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in all corners of the world. Despite the presence of a NATO force in Afghanistan and over 100,000 Pakistani troops fighting the Taliban for the past seven years, civilians within this region still bear the brunt of the conflict. The situation has deteriorated so badly that in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, where Canadian troops operate, attacks on girls attending school have made many fear even stepping outside of their homes. Increased attention to the situation and a more decisive global effort to remove the Taliban and other related groups will be necessary to allow females to acquire an education and to foster peace and stability within the region.
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February 26, 2009 at 4:08 pm |
Your world view is being colored by propaganda that you are foolishly repeating without even the slightest attempt at confirmation. Most of the statements you have made about the “Taliban” are simply factually incorrect. For example, the Taliban government in Afghanistan were never inherently against girls education; girls education was banned during their war to take over the country and afterwards allowed as long as it was not co-ed. Even a few minutes of original research would show you this, rather than just parroting whatever is fed to you by your government and their pet media outlets. You can still find the Taliban governments official statements on the issue, the comments by Rehmatullah Hashemi at USC, an official representative of the government, and UN statistics which show a greater population of female students during the Taliban regime than currently.
Your comments on Fazlullah ban are also incorrect, as that temporary ban was lifted, and it was clearly indicated throughout by his representatives that they were not inherently against female education, just attempting to prevent government-controlled schools.
February 27, 2009 at 2:01 am |
Well I like it that you point this out in the first place
but I have a question of my own. You say that one should not believe everything that is fed by the governments or their pet media outlets but at the same time you say that I should look at the official statements of the Taliban when they were in power? If I cannot believe what my own government tells me or if I can’t believe what I see on CBC, CNN, BBC, REUTERS, ABC, CBS, APF, AP, CTV, PRESS TV, NBC, CHINAVIEW then how can I believe what someone else tells me? So if the articles on the Taliban from these sources are incorrect what makes me so sure that other stuff are not incorrect? How would I know that anything is correct? Sometimes it’s better not to jump to such conclusions.
The Taliban have moved from a position of government to a position of a resistance movement. They still release official statements on their missions within Afghanistan and Pakistan. They also release footage of their armed resistance towards American, NATO and Afghan troops. In one report it was stated that in one operation over 200 American troops had died. So am I supposed to believe this?
And as for a little end note -> don’t come telling me this. Email your complaint to these news sources that report such things
March 30, 2009 at 2:59 am |
Dear Sericam your article was very interesting and you pointed out several important points. The Taliban regime was ruling the government according to Wahhabi doctrine and they did not really used Shari’a law.the regime used a strategy of creating peace through fear; backed by enormous Saudi financial contributions. Thus, they promoted order and harmony using terror under the guise of Islamic Shari’a law. So, the regime used Islam as their political tool to achieve political aims in Afghanistan. Also, the Taliban regime never become a de facto or de jure government of Afghanistan, they were a illegal government. For instance, only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and United Emirate recognized the Taliban regime as the government of Afghanistan, while the rest of the international community rejected. Yet, it is important to note that the three states mentioned above, their governments is governed according to Wahhabi doctrine and the doctrine plays a significant role in making norms and rules for the government. As you mentioned Serkan that the regime gave no rights to female education and they violates other fundamental human rights. Therefore, you must understand that Wahhabi doctrine is designed to violate women rights and minority rights. Concering Madame Meelash, i dont know why your blaming Mister Serkan that he is providing wrong information? i dont get it? What you mean that female education was only banned during the war? Lesson i am originally from Afghanistan and i can tell that they were
March 30, 2009 at 3:04 am |
Dear Sericam your article was very interesting and you pointed out several important points. The Taliban regime was ruling the government according to Wahhabi doctrine and they did not really used Shari’a law.the regime used a strategy of creating peace through fear; backed by enormous Saudi financial contributions. Thus, they promoted order and harmony using terror under the guise of Islamic Shari’a law. So, the regime used Islam as their political tool to achieve political aims in Afghanistan. Also, the Taliban regime never become a de facto or de jure government of Afghanistan, they were a illegal government. For instance, only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and United Emirate recognized the Taliban regime as the government of Afghanistan, while the rest of the international community rejected. Yet, it is important to note that the three states mentioned above, their governments is governed according to Wahhabi doctrine and the doctrine plays a significant role in making norms and rules for the government. As you mentioned Serkan that the regime gave no rights to female education and they violates other fundamental human rights. Therefore, you must understand that Wahhabi doctrine is designed to violate women rights and minority rights. Concering Madame Meelash, i dont know why your blaming Mister Serkan that he is providing wrong information? i dont get it? What you mean that female education was only banned during the war? Lestin i am originally from Afghanistan and i can tell that they were aiming to violate female rights by creating a prison life for women and they were also aiming to eradicate the minority ethnic groups, especially the Shia community of Afghanistan. The regime was backed my the Saudi and Pakistani Wahhabi community for their anti-women and anti-Shiite campaign. Miss. Meelash, i dont know why your supporting the barbaric taliban regime, it seems that your not well-educated about the Talibans.